R. Lawrence Ives, Ph.D.
Dr. Ives received his Ph.D. from N.C. State University in plasma physics and began his microwave career in the Gyrotron Department at Varian Associates, Inc. in Palo Alto, CA. In that position he was responsible for designing electron guns, gyrotron circuits, collectors, and waveguide components. Gyrotrons are high power, high frequency microwave and millimeter wave RF sources used for fusion research and industrial heating.
Dr. Ives founded Calabazas Creek Research, Inc., which is involved in software development, microwave tube and component design, and uses of microwave power for environmental and heating applications.
Dr. Ives was principle investigator in programs to develop a two-stage depressed collector system for Gaussian-mode gyrotrons at the 2 MW CW power level, S-Band multiple beam electron gun for radar applications, a MW CW waterload for Gaussian mode gyrotrons, and a 15 kW CW L-Band klystron for Driving Superconductor Accelerator Cavities.
Dr. Ives is currently principle investigator on the following programs to implement field emission array cathodes into RF sources, multiple beam electron guns for high power RF applications, improved magnetron injection guns for high power gyrotrons and gyroklystrons, a 50 MW multiple beam klystron, a microfabricated W-Band Traveling Wave Tube for satellite communications, and Terahertz backward wave oscillators.
Dr. Ives also provides consulting support to several commercial companies on electron gun and RF source development.
Prior to founding CCR, Dr. Ives was manager of Varian's High Power Klystron department, responsible for overseeing klystron design and development from S-Band through X-Band. He was responsible for managing and upgrading the computational facility, which supported four divisions and was recognized as the most powerful and advanced in the microwave industry. He was responsible for implementing Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) techniques, including interfacing CNC machines to the engineering system. Dr. Ives returned to a more technical role as Senior Engineer, supporting research in both the klystron and gyrotron areas. In that position he managed development programs for high power CW klystron amplifiers; high voltage, high current electron guns for research purposes; and ultrahigh power window designs for klystrons. Dr. Ives developed the first commercial gyrotron capable of operation with a depressed collector. He also designed the output window and waveguide system for an experimental, 200 MW, X- Band klystron using advanced scattering matrix and mode matching computer techniques.